Police continue investigation into slain Suisun teen’s death

Local residents stop to reflect on a makeshift memorial of teddy bears and personal messages Saturday in Alan Witt Park near to where a 13-year-old girl was found dead Friday. (Conner Jay/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Police released few details Saturday about the investigation into the death of a 13-year-old Suisun City girl whose body was found naked early Friday at Allan Witt Park.

An autopsy was completed Friday, but officials would not release the girl’s name or the cause of death, Fairfield Police Officer Cleo Mayoral said Saturday. Mayoral confirmed that the girl was in the foster care system and lived with a guardian in Suisun City.

Police are investigating the girl’s death as Fairfield’s second homicide of the year.

The only sign Saturday of Friday’s discovery at the park was a makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and teddy bears.

Katie Clark of Napa stopped by on her way back from Vacaville to leave a gift and to pay her respects. Clark, who grew up in Fairfield, said she didn’t know the victim but remembered spending a great deal of time as a child at Allan Witt Park.

Clark she said can’t imagine something like this happening to one of her children.

“Bringing flowers and a card is the least I can do,” she said. “It just breaks my heart.”

Rose Whitson came with Clark, also to pay her respects. Whitson, a 61-year Fairfield resident, said she’s seen Allan Witt Park grow from a small playground with newly planted trees to what it is today. She said she’s also seen it evolve from a place where children could play freely and safely, to a dangerous area.

Whitson has teenage nieces of her own. She said it easily could have been one of them who was killed.

“She’s the same age as my nieces,” Whitson said. “It’s just – her innocence. She was just 13 years old.”

Mattos said the girl was last seen by the guardian getting on a school bus and confirmed that she was in class all day. She was expected home at 4:20 p.m. and never arrived, Mattos said.

A passer-by found the girl’s body early Friday morning at the park, near Woolner Avenue, and flagged down a Fairfield police officer.

No suspect or suspects have been identified. Police were continuing to canvass the neighborhood, and were reviewing video surveillance from the park and nearby business complexes, Mayoral said. The park remains a crime scene, he said.

“We have all our resources working on this,” Mayoral said. “All our detectives, our crime scene people, our criminologists and our patrol division.”

Mayoral said investigators were trying to track the girl’s activities in the hours before she ended up in the park.

Sacramento television station CBS13 reported the girl attended Green Valley Middle School, which is about eight miles from the park, according to The Associated Press. Mayoral could not confirm Saturday where she attended school.

School Principal Gregg Hubbs declined to comment on the girl’s death.

Anyone with information about the girl’s whereabouts in the hours leading to her death or the circumstances surrounding her death is asked to call Fairfield police at 428-7300 or Suisun City police at 421-7373.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Heather Ah San at 427-6977 or hahsan@dailyrepublic.net. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HeatherMalia.

Heather Ah San

Heather Ah San covers Rio Vista, features and general news for the Daily Republic. She received her bachelors of art degree from the University of Oregon.

View all my stories Email Me | Follow Me on Twitter